A Hogwarts Fantasy
by Muggle321
Summary: Just a story focusing on the adventures of a new Muggle-born student and her friends at Hogwarts. My first fanfic, nothing too special, I suppose. Please read and review!
1. On the Hogwarts Express

Anything you recognize is owned by the genious author, J.K. Rowling.

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The two young girls stared at the space between platforms nine and ten of King's Cross station. They were standing side by side, trembling slightly with nervous excitement. 

"Ready, Molly?" the smaller girl asked her friend. Her glasses glittered in the sunlight, and her several red strands stood out of her long dark brown hair. She had her hands clamped tightly on her cart.

"As ready as I'll ever be, Erin," Molly answered quietly.

"Let's do this thing," Erin said eagerly.

They checked to make sure no Muggles were watching before pushing their carts forward. Breaking into a dash, Erin commented, "You know, this feels stupid. We're heading straight for a barrier." Molly said nothing, and they continued running. As they got closer and closer to the wall, they closed their eyes and said silent prayers in their heads, hoping the wall would let them through.

"We made it!" Molly cheered happily once she got through.

"Wow," Erin said in awe. "And I thought the Harry Potter books were fiction."

The two of them watched as everyone bustled past, saying goodbyes to their families and greeting old friends. Looking up at the sign that read "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters," Erin said, "Well, let's get on the train, shall we?"

Molly nodded and they hopped onto the train together. They quickly found an empty compartment and settled down. Just minutes later, the train started to move.

"Wow," Erin said again.

"I can't believe this is really happening," Molly said. "We're going to Hogwarts!"

"Yeah, I know. I wonder what House we'll be in..." Erin said thoughtfully.

"Whatever House it is, I hope we're in the same one," Molly replied. Then the compartment door slid open and a girl with curly blonde hair looked in.

"Um, do you mind if I join you? There's no where else to sit," she asked shyly.

"Sure," said Molly kindly, making room.

The blonde girl placed her trunk with the others and sat down.

"Hi," Erin said to her. "I'm Erin, and this is my friend Molly. What's your name?"

"Tina," she responded sheepishly. "I'm only a first year though."

"Oh, so are we," Erin said informatively. "Isn't this exciting, going to Hogwarts and all? I was so thrilled when I got my letter. I could hardly believe it. You see, I'm Muggle-born, and I've read all of the Harry Potter books, so I didn't think this was all real."

"Yeah, I thought the same thing when I got mine. I was so happy to find out that Erin was going too. I only just turned eleven, on July 12. I was so excited when I got the letter," said Molly.

"That's cool," said Tina, feeling a little more comfortable. "I'm Muggle-born too. It's a relief to hear that I'm not the only one."

The three chatted with each other about everything, from favorite Muggle songs to worst school subjects. When the food cart came, they each jumped up to get a taste of food from the magical world.

"I think I'm gonna get a Chocolate Frog," said Erin. "I don't know about those Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans; they seem a bit iffy to me, at least from what I've read."

Each girl got a few sweets from the cart. Erin had her arms full of Chocolate Frogs, Tina just got some Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and Molly had a Pumpkin Pasty.

"Anyway, as we were saying, I've never been too fond of science at the Muggle schools. Or social studies, they're both kind of boring to me," Erin said, in between mouthfuls of chocolate.

"What classes do you think you'll like at Hogwarts?" Molly asked, after finishing her Pumpkin Pasty.

"Probably Transfiguration. That sounds really cool, turning things into other things. Charms probably would be good, too, but I don't know about Potions. It sounds all too much like science to me," Erin replied.

"Yeah, Transfiguration does sound interesting," Tina agreed.

"I bet learning to fly on broomsticks will be fun, too. But for a class, I think I'd also like Charms and Transfiguration. Defense Against the Dark Arts sounds kinda cool, but I don't know. History of Magic just sounds dull," said Molly.

"I wonder if we'll be there soon. I'm going to go ask the conductor," Erin announced. She got up and left the compartment. She returned shortly and said, "About fifteen more minutes. We probably should change into our robes."

That they did, and then they complimented each other on their witchly attire. When the train slowed to a stop, the three girls stepped off the Hogwarts Express together. They walked over and joined a group of other kids who were standing around a huge man calling, "Firs' years over here!"

"That must be Hagrid!" Erin realized. They followed Hagrid down a steep, narrow path until they got their first glimpse of Hogwarts.

"Ooooh, wow!" all the first years exclaimed. They continued down the path until they reached a large lake. There were several boats waiting for them, and they piled onto them in groups of four. Erin, Molly, and Tina were joined by small, dark-haired witch. Everyone was silent as the boats glided across the lake. Each and every boy and girl were fascinated by the castle atop of a tall mountain. They entered an opening in the cliff that led to some sort of underground harbor. Then they walked along a path and soon huddled together on the stone steps in front of an oak door, and Hagrid proceeded to knock three times.


	2. The Sorting Ceremony

Well, this is my second chapter! I hope you all are enjoying it so far. Thank you for reviewing; please continue to do so! 

Remember, I don't own anything Harry Potter. I'm just borrowing it from J.K. Rowling.

* * *

The door was pulled open immediately. There stood a tall, formidable-looking witch, wearing emerald-green robes and her dark hair in a tight bun. 

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She opened the door completely to allow the first years into the entrance hall. It was gigantic and beautiful, with twisting marble staircases, lit torches, and an extremely high ceiling. They followed Professor McGonagall into an empty classroom and stood nervously in closely-knit bunches. She gave a quick, informative welcome speech, and then disappeared for a few minutes. Talking started up again among the new students.

"Wow, the Sorting ceremony. I hope I'm in Gryffindor," Erin whispered.

"Whatever, as long as we're all together," Molly said quietly.

Then their attention turned to a tall girl with short blond hair and emo glasses over her blue eyes. She was talking very loudly.

"Hey, look there's something written on the wall!" she shouted, pointing at the stone wall behind her. Everyone struggled to see. "What does it say? Um...it says, 'Professor McGonagall is a mean, old hag'!"

The room went silent when they heard Professor McGonagall clear her throat loudly. She was glaring at the tall blonde girl. It was a look that could turn someone to stone.

"Sorry," the girl said quickly.

McGonagall's nostrils flared dangerously, but she did not reprimand the girl. She just looked sternly at the group and said, "The Sorting ceremony's about to start. Form a line, and follow me."

They walked nervously behind Professor McGonagall. She opened a set of doors, and everyone gasped in fascination. The room they saw was huge and filled with the rest of the school. There were four long tables where the students sat, and one more at the front for the teachers. Thousands of floating candles lit the room, and there were even ghosts flying all around.

Then the professor led them to the front of the room. They stood in a line, facing the school with the teachers behind them. Everyone's eyes were focused on the group of small students. Many of the first years were trembling in fear, while others stood confidently before the rest of the school. Professor McGonagall placed a wooden stool on the floor beside them, which had a torn and tattered wizard hat resting on top. Then, much to the surprise of the first years, it broke into song!

It sang about Hogwarts's four houses - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. When its song ended, everyone clapped enthusiastically. When the applause died down, Professor McGonagall said, "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Applebee, Steven!"

A tall boy walked nervously up to the stool and slipped the hat over his head. A moment later, the hat called, "RAVENCLAW!" The table third from the right clapped and cheered for Steven.

"Burns, Gregory!"

A sullen-looking boy put the hat on his head, and the hat shouted, "SLYTHERIN!" The Slytherin table applauded for him.

"Chew, Jaqueline!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

It was almost Erin's turn now, as the last of the C's were sorted. After "Davis, Rebecca" was put into Ravenclaw, Professor McGonagall called, "Dunn, Erin!"

Erin took a deep breath and walked confidently up to the stool. She placed the hat on her head, which fell over her eyes, and waited for the Sorting Hat to tell the whole school where she belonged. After the longest seconds of her life, the hat yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The table at the farthest left cheered for Erin, and she took a seat next to a second year who made space for her.

"Thanks," Erin said, and they watched the Sorting continue. They saw "Eliot, Brad!" be made a Gryffindor.

"Fitzgerald, Stephanie!"

The tall blonde girl with glasses from earlier eagerly jammed the hat on her head. The hat waited about half a minute before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Stephanie Fitzgerald sat down next to Erin, who was clapping loudly. They chatted quietly as the Sorting continued.

"Hi," Stephanie said. "I'm Steph."

"Hi, my name's Erin. I saw you in that classroom before the Sorting. 'Professor McGongall's a mean, old hag,' good one," Erin joked.

"Hey, it was written on the wall!" Steph said defensively, but it was all in good fun. They watched the Sorting again, just as "Maloney, Diandra," the dark-haired girl from the boat, was made a Ravenclaw.

"A lot of Ravenclaws this year," a ghost said suddenly to Erin and Stephanie. The two girls gasped in surprise. "Ah, I haven't introduced myself! My name is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower," he said proudly.

"Hey, I think I've heard of you!" Stephanie exclaimed. "You're Nearly Headless Nick! My brother told me about you."

"I _prefer_ to be addressed as Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington," the ghost said stiffly. But whatever you want, I suppose."

The two girls smiled, and then Erin said, "Oh, wait, my friend Tina's about to be sorted!"

Indeed she was. A moment later, Professor McGonagall called, "Sisco, Christina!"

Tina walked over to the stool and placed the hat on her head. A second later, the hat called out, "RAVENCLAW!"

Erin looked a little disappointed but clapped for her newly-found friend anyway.

"Sweeny, Molly!"

Erin cheered for her close friend as she made her way to the stool. Molly put the hat on, which seemed to be taking a long time to decide. Erin whispered repeatedly, "Gryffindor, Gryffindor...!" After almost a whole minute, the Sorting Hat decided, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The two girls were a bit crestfallen, but Erin just shrugged and mouthed, "We'll see each other in the hallways."

The Sorting ended with "Ziegler, Thomas," who was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall picked up the stool and took it away. Then she seated herself next to the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He smiled and said a word to McGonagall before standing up to speak.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts!" he began, with a twinkle in his eye. "Welcome back to all our returning students, and a very warm welcome to all our first years! Before we begin the feast, I have a few words to say: Gophers! Dingbat! Oddity! Squeak!"

Everyone laughed and said, "Thank you!" Erin turned to Stephanie and said, "He's a little nutty, isn't he?"

"I guess so," Steph said, while piling her plate with the food that suddently appeared before them. "I hear he's a great wizard though, and a good headmaster, at least according to my brother."

"How old is your brother?" Erin asked, placing globs of mashed potatoes on her plate.

"He's a sixth year now," Steph told her, and then chowed down on her meal. Erin followed Steph's lead and began eating her meal of roast beef, potatoes, and gravy. After taking a drink of juice from her goblet, Erin said, "Did you know there are Muggle books about Hogwarts?"

"Yeah," Steph replied. "I'm half-and-half, my dad's a Muggle and my mom's a witch. So I read a lot of Muggle literature."

"Oh, cool," Erin said. "Both my parents are Muggles, so mostly everything here is new to me."

"Well, you're not the only one. A lot of people here are Muggle-born. By the way, my dad says that those Harry Potter books are pretty accurate," she added.

"So everything - Harry Potter, Dumbledore, Voldemort - it's all true?"

"You just said You-Know-Who's name!" Steph cried in shock. "But it's no big deal, most people say his name without fear now that he's defeated for good. I'm still getting used to it, though, but yeah, it's all true."

"Wow, that's awesome."

A few minutes later, all the main courses vanished, and the desserts appeared in their place.

"Oh, yum," said Erin as she helped herself to a slice of apple pie and vanilla ice cream. Steph just took a piece of chocolate cake.

"Yum," Erin repeated. "This is delicious."

By this time, everyone at their end of the Gryffindor table was chatting together. The topic turned to Quidditch, the wizarding sport.

"That's the game played on broomsticks, right?" asked Erin.

"Yes, and it's the best!" exclaimed one other first year, Kyle Rose. "It's so much fun, I've played back at home with my friends."

"Too bad first years aren't allowed their own broomsticks, though," another first year, Ryan Pintek said. "Next year I'm going to try out for Gryffindor's team."

"Good luck," Erin said.

Soon, the desserts were gone, and Albus Dumbledore rose to his feet.

"I have a few announcements to make before we leave for bed," he said. "First years should be aware that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students. Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to again remind you that magic is not permitted in the halls between classes. Quidditch tryouts will take place during the second week of term. If you are interested in playing for your house, you should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I shall introduce our three new teachers," Dumbledore continued. "Professor Harry Potter will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts classes."

Harry stood up and waved to the rest of the school.

"Hermione Granger is the new professor of Arithmancy, since Professor Vector retired after the end of last term."

Hermione blushed a little and curtsied.

"And, because of the unfortunate loss of our former Potions instructor, Professor Snape, we have a new Potions professor and Head of Slytherin House," Professor Dumbledore said solemnly. "I introduce to you Professor Draco Malfoy."

All three new professors were standing now. Professors Potter and Granger forced a smile at Professor Malfoy, who was sneering.

"Well, I believe that is all," Dumbledore said, his voice cheerful again. "Off you go!"

Everyone bustled out of the Great Hall. Erin was just about ask Steph where to go when they heard an older student calling, "First year Gryffindors, over here!"

Steph and Erin joined the three other Gryffindor first years, Brad Eliot, Ryan Pintek and Kyle Rose. The older student was a fifth year and a prefect named Martin Newark. He led them out of the Great Hall, up the marble staircase, through hidden doors and hanging tapestries, and up some more staircases. At the end of the hall, they stopped at the portrait of a very large lady, who was appropriately called the Fat Lady.

"Ursa Major!" said Martin. The portrait swung forward, revealing a hole in the wall, and the five of them climbed through it. They were now in the Gryffindor common room, which already had a few other students in it.

"Okay, so that's the password this week, 'Ursa Major,'" Martin told the first years. You and the second years share a dormitory, since there aren't many of you. Girls, your rooms are through that door over there, and boys, this door here leads to your dormitory. Well, that's it! If you still have questions, don't be afraid to ask." He went away and joined his friends in a corner of the common room.

Stephanie and Erin went through the door that read "First and Second Years," and they walked up a spiral staircase. When they reached the top, they were in a circular room with four beds. Their belongings were resting beside two beds by the window. Two other girls were in the room; one was reading a book, and the other Erin recognized as the girl she was sitting next to at the feast.

"Hello," the one from the feast said. "I'm Victoria Casper, and she's Krista East." The girl on the bed, Krista, said a quick, "Hi," and returned to her book.

"Hi," both first years replied. They introduced themselves and unpacked their trunks. Afterwards, it was nearly ten o' clock. Both girls were very tired from the day's events, and quickly fell asleep in their new beds.

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I hope you all liked it! Please review! 


	3. First Day of Classes

This would be the third chapter of my first fanfic. I hope you have been enjoying my story so far! 

And, of course, I own practically nothing. All Harry Potter stuff belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just borrowing it.

* * *

The next morning, Erin woke early to get ready for the first day of classes. It was about quarter after seven. The second years, Krista and Victoria, were already up and gone, so Erin figured Stephanie should be waking soon. But she could hardly stand to wait, so she just woke her friend up herself. 

"Stephanie Fitzgerald, wake up already! It's 7:18, and if you don't want to get lost on the way to breakfast, you'd better come with me," she said loudly.

"Oh, come on, give me five more minutes, Mum..." she grumbled and rolled over in bed.

"Steph, I'm not your mother. You're at Hogwarts now, remember?"

"Dear God! I forgot!" Steph hopped out of bed suddenly. "When do classes start?" She fumbled around for her glasses.

"I don't know yet," Erin told her, as she put her books in her bag. "We get schedules at breakfast, don't we?"

"Then we'd better get down there!" Steph replied as she pulled on her robe. "We're probably already late!"

"Well, whose fault's that?" Erin joked as she put on her pointed witch's hat. Then she commented, as Steph put on her hat haphazardly, "You certainly will make quite a good impression on your first day."

"Oh, shut up," Steph muttered and followed Erin out of the portrait hole. Once they were outside the common room, they began walking down the corridor. They stopped once they came to a fork in the hall.

"Erm, were there two stairwells here last night?" Erin asked.

"I don't know. But hey, you said that if I didn't want to get lost, I should follow you," Steph answered.

"Fine then, I guess we'll have to trust my sense of direction."

Erin picked the staircase on the right and they began to walk down them. Fortunately, they found the marble staircase that led to the entrance hall without much trouble. They scurried down the steps and into the Great Hall. They were relieved to see other students still entering for breakfast.

The two girls took their seats at the Gryffindor table just in time, because Professor McGonagall started passing out schedules as soon as they sat down.

"How early did you guys get here?" Erin asked Ryan Pintek and Kyle Rose, who were sitting opposite them. Their plates were already cleared.

"About seven," Kyle replied after taking a swig of orange juice.

"The second years have set their alarm clock to six-thirty," Ryan explained.

Erin was buttering a slice of toast when Professor McGonagall reached their end of the table. She set down her toast so she could take the piece of parchement that McGonagall was extending to her. She was at the end of the table, but there was someone who had yet to receive a schedule.

"Have any of you seen Brad Eliot? He's also a first year; this is his," Professor McGonagall said. The four Gryffindor first years shook their heads. Their Head of House frowned disapprovingly. Right at that moment, they saw a boy run into the Great Hall. He skidded to a halt next to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Kyle Rose.

"Mr. Eliot, it would be wise to make it to breakfast earlier," McGonagall said, irritated that one of her Gryffindors was already late. Then she handed him his schedule. "This is yours. I hope that this tardiness does not become a habit." She then left the the Great Hall. Brad was silent until she was out of sight. "That was unnerving," he said while quickly throwing food onto his plate.

"Hey, you were late," Erin reminded him. Then she read her schedule. "Herbology with Hufflepuff first, in the greenhouses at eight o' clock. What time is it?"

Steph looked at her watch. "7:46."

"Well, then we'd better get going! I don't exactly know where the greenhouses are, so we'll have to look around a little first." Erin downed her orange juice and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Brad, you're gonna be late," she pointed out.

Steph followed Erin out of the Great Hall, and the two timely boys were right behind them. They exited the entrance hall through the large oak door and walked down the stone steps into the cool September air. They saw a few other first years following a path that wound around the castle, so the four Gryffindors decided to head in that direction. Sure enough, the Herbology greenhouses were located in back of the castle.

"Which one are we in today?" asked Steph. There were three greenhouses.

"Umm...one," Erin answered, checking her schedule. They opened the door and went inside. There were all sorts of plants that Erin had never seen before. Although she was never really interested in gardening, just getting to learn about the unusual plants seemed almost exciting.

A few students were already there. They joined them and chatted politely. Shortly after, some more Hufflepuffs entered.

"Erin!" one called. Erin turned her head and replied delightedly, "Hey, Molly!"

Molly strolled over and greeted her old friend. Then she said, "Erin, meet Jacqui Chew and Emily Barnett. They're some new pals from Hufflepuff."

"Hi," they both said.

Erin introduced Stephanie, and then the teacher, Professor Sprout, appeared. She smiled and greeted everyone. Just then, the bell from the castle could be heard even inside the greenhouse. Right before the ringing ended, the door swung open, and Brad Eliot ran in.

"I'm not late," he declared and joined the group.

"No, you're not," said Professor Sprout. "You almost were though, so please do try to get here more quickly."

Professor Sprout only showed them how to handle the plants and tools properly and safely for this lesson. At the end of class, Erin said goodbye to Molly and her friends, who were heading to Transfiguration.

The Gryffindors had History of Magic next, so they headed to Professor Binns's classroom. Professor Binns was actually a ghost, and he entered the classroom through the blackboard rather than the door. He droned on about something magically historical; no Gryffindors were able to focus on the lesson, even if they wanted to. Ryan Pintek and Kyle Rose were having sword fights with their quills. Stephanie was talking nonsensically to herself, and Brad Eliot was sleeping with his head resting on top of his books. Erin tried to studiously take notes, but she too became too bored to listen. The bell signaling the end of class came after what seemed like weeks, and everyone scuttled out of the room. Steph threw a wad of parchment at Brad so he would wake. Their next class was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, and he already made a bad impression. The five Gryffindors hurried down to their Transfiguration class and fortunately entered with a minute to spare.

"I see you are all already here. It's good to see everyone being so timely," Professor McGonagall said, looking directly at Brad. Then she began class with some general information. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn here at Hogwarts. Anyone fooling around in my class will leave and not return. That is your warning."

Next, the professor turned her desk into an ostrich and back. Everyone was impressed and very excited to begin, but before they could start transfiguring objects, Professor McGonagall had them write long and detailed notes. Each student listened very carefully, not only so they would know what they were doing, but also because they didn't want to get in trouble with their strict Transfiguration professor and Head of House. After filling up two and a half feet of parchment, they were given a match to change into a needle. Everyone tried very hard, and the only person who was able to do it was Erin, who was amazed by her own work. She put on an awkward expression when Professor McGonagall showed the rest of the class how well her match had transformed. Their usually stolid teacher smiled at Erin, causing her face to flush.

After class, it was finally lunch hour. Stephanie and Erin headed back to the common room to get their books for their afternoon classes, Charms and Potions.

"After lunch, it's just Flitwick and Malfoy, both House Heads. I've heard Flitwick is good, but Malfoy is a new teacher," Steph noted.

"It's Double Potions with the Slytherins. Hope Malfoy doesn't favor them like that Snape guy did in the books," said Erin, grabbing some extra parchment.

"Oh yeah, I hope not. That would be bad," Steph replied as they left Gryffindor Tower and headed to lunch.

"We better be extra careful around him, just in case," Erin said.

* * *

Charms class went by quickly. Professor Flitwick, a tiny wizard no more than three feet tall, spoke squeakily and gave them a lesson on proper arm motions and wand-waving techniques. Afterwards, they were off to the dungeons for two hours of Potions with the Slytherins. When they arrived, they took seats in the very back of the classroom. Professor Draco Malfoy was standing at the front of the classroom, with an annoying smirk on his face.

"Welcome to first-year Potions," Professor Malfoy said in a falsely kind tone. "I am your Potions master. In this class you will learn the science of potion brewing. I can teach you how to brew any potion... That is, of course, if you aren't all a group of numskulls." He sneered and looked pointedly at each of the five Gryffindors. "Today you will be taking notes on the potion for curing boils. Come on now, why aren't you taking out your quills, parchment?"

Everyone rummaged through their bags for the necessary supplies. Brad Eliot turned around and whispered, "Do any of you have extra parchment?"

Before either girl could reply, Professor Malfoy was sneering over Brad's shoulder.

"Eliot!" Malfoy barked. "Decided to come to my class unprepared, huh?"

Brad just stared back, grimacing in fright.

"Dunn, Fitzgerald, one of you give Eliot a piece of parchment. That'll be a point from Gryffindor, Eliot." Malfoy began the lesson, but things did not get better. Stephanie was slumped down in her chair out of boredom, and although she was taking her notes as instructed, Malfoy took another point away for slouching.

"Your assignment is to write a two-foot essay on the uses of each of the ingredients listed on the board! It is due tomorrow, and no late papers will be accepted." The students scribbled the homework information and headed out of the classroom.

"I wasn't even doing anything wrong," Steph muttered after they left the classroom.

"Hopefully things will be better tomorrow," Erin said optimistically.

"Yeah, hopefully," Steph said as they rounded into the Great Hall for dinner.

* * *

There was the third chapter! Hope you enjoyed it. Please review! 


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